There is a case where the user studies or reads a book while watching a television receiver. Such a state is what is called a “while watching” state.
A technique for setting luminance or the like of the television receiver to a desired luminance level every user by using biological information and personal authentication of the user has been disclosed in JP-A-10-211177.
The “while watching” state is the state where the user is interested both in the monitoring of the television receiver and another work such as study or the like. There occurs a case where the state changes from the “while watching” state to a state where the user concentrates on some other work such as writing of sentences or the like (such a state is properly referred to as “concentration”). In the “concentration” state, there is a case where the user feels that a video image or an audio sound of the television receiver obstructs the concentration. A technique for changing reproducing characteristics of the video image or audio sound which is reproduced in accordance with “while watching” and “concentration” is not disclosed in JP-A-10-211177.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a reproducing apparatus and a reproducing method for changing reproducing characteristics of at least either of a video image and an audio sound in accordance with the “while watching” state and the “concentration” state.